Worthwhile Learning Experience Research Articles

Experiences of mentoring university students with an intellectual disability as part of a practicum placement

ABSTRACT Benefits of peer mentoring include learning to collaborate , developing relationships, skill development and career clarity. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of undergraduate university students mentoring a person with intellectual disability as part of their university practicum placement. Using a qualitative approach, peer mentors (N=11) were asked to reflect on their Up the Hill Project experience, at an Australian program supporting inclusion of adults with intellectual disability at university. Thematic analysis of interviews revealed four key themes: career development and learning; enabling positive outcomes; being a mentor; and barriers and challenges. Mentors reported a positive experience related to professional learning and development. The mentoring experience was strengthened by effective support structures and the reciprocity of the mentor-mentee relationship. Findings suggest that mentoring as part of a university practicum can be a positive, worthwhile learning experience, particularly regarding professional development for future employment in the disability field.

Awareness and Attitude of Undergraduate Nursing Students at King Saud bin Abdul-Aziz University Regarding Palliative Care

Context: Palliative care (PC) is a form of care that aims to enhance the life quality of patients and their families who are dealing with the effects of the life-threatening disease by preventing and alleviating distress by early detection, accurate evaluation, and management of pain and other physical, psychosocial, and spiritual issues. Aim: This study aimed to assess the awareness and attitude of undergraduate nursing students at King Saud bin Abdul-Aziz University regarding palliative care. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized to achieve the aim of this study. The study was conducted at the College of Nursing - Riyadh, affiliated to King Saud bi Abdul-Aziz University. A convenience sample of 273 nursing students from level five to level eight voluntarily participated in this study. Data were collected by using two tools. A self-reported questionnaire was designed to assess the students' awareness of palliative care. Frommelt Attitude Towards Care of the Dying (FATCOD) Scale was adopted to measure participants’ attitudes toward providing care to dying patients. Results: The results show that about 36.3% of nursing students were in the age group of 21 years old, and 73% were in the sixth academic level. 75.5% of the nursing students were not aware of palliative care, 30.30% knew about PC from the elective course. 96.33% of students had no experience caring for terminally ill patients and their family members previously. The students' response analysis of PC definition revealed that 89.74 of them could not define it correctly, 41% could not know the aim from PC, 43% of students identified the need of terminally ill to reduce the physical suffering. The students' attitudes toward palliative care showed a swing between positive and negative attitudes. As 81% of students believe that giving nursing care to the dying person is a worthwhile learning experience, 65.5% agreed about nursing care for the patient's family should continue throughout grief and bereavement. In comparison, 77.3% would hope the person they cared for dies when they are not present, and 41.5% of the students believe that they would be uncomfortable talking about impending death with the dying person, and 40.9% were uncertain about this. Conclusion: Knowledge about palliative care among undergraduate nursing students remained relatively poor overall. Attitude toward end-of-life care shows a swing between positive and negative attitudes yet still reflected an evident lack of comfort in dealing with death and dying. Structured courses in palliative care are recommended as a core part of undergraduate nursing education. The suggested course should encompass basic professional skills, symptom control, patient-centered communication, ethical issues, decision-making at the end of life, whole-person care, and interdisciplinary work.

Perceptions of medical students regarding community-based teaching experiences: an observation from Bangladesh.

Community orientation in medical education, which prepares medical students to become more effective practitioners, is now a global movement. Many medical schools around the world have adopted the concept as the main curricular framework in order to align learning programs with the needs of the community and the learner. Despite many changes over the past few decades, many improvements are still needed in medical education in Bangladesh. This study investigated medical students' perceptions of the community-based learning experiences incorporated into the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree at Uttara Adhunik Medical College, Dhaka (UAMC), Bangladesh. A total of 135 students from three undergraduate year levels of the MBBS degree at UAMC, Dhaka, Bangladesh, undertook study tours (community-based teaching, CBT) as a part of a community medicine course and visited a medical college, two rural health centres and a meteorology centre in the Cox's Bazar district, 400 km from Dhaka city. A questionnaire was used to assess the perceptions of students regarding the administration, organisation and learning experiences of the study tours. Students were required to write reports, present their findings and answer questions in their examinations related to the study tours and CBT. The majority of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the tour was a worthwhile (93%) and enjoyable (95%) learning experience that helped them to understand rural health issues (91%). More than half of the students reported that the study tours increased their awareness about common rural health problems (54%) and provided a wider exposure to medicine (61%). Only 41% of students reported that the study tour increased their interest in undertake training in a rural area. A substantial number of students also expressed their concerns about the planning, length, resources, finance and organisation of the study tours. Overall, the study tours had a positive effect, enhancing students' awareness and understanding of common rural health problems. As study tours failed to increase the motivation of the students (approximately 60%) to work in rural areas, CBT in the medical curriculum should be reviewed and implemented using effective and evidence-based models to promote interest among medical students to work in rural and underserved or unserved areas.

Mobile Augmented Reality in Museums : Towards Enhancing Visitor's Learning Experience

This article presents the design and implementation of a handheld Augmented Reality (AR) system called Mobile Augmented Reality Touring System (M.A.R.T.S). The results of experiments conducted during museum visits using this system are also described. These experiments aim at studying how such a tool can transform the visitor's learning experience by comparing it to two widely used museum systems. First, we present the museum's learning experience and a related model which emerged from the state of the art. This model consists of two types of activity experienced by the observer of a work of art: sensitive and analytical. Then, we detail M.A.R.T.S architecture and implementation. Our empirical study highlights the fact that AR can direct visitors' attention by emphasizing and superimposing. Its magnifying and sensitive effects are well perceived and appreciated by visitors. The obtained results reveal that M.A.R.T.S contributes to a worthwhile learning experience.

Apnea in Beach-Chair Position Status Post Interscalene Block: A Simulation Case for Anesthesia Residents.

Regional anesthesia is commonly performed for orthopedic operations, especially in situations when general anesthesia is preferably avoided. Anesthesia residents should understand the complications of regional procedures and should know how to treat them if treatment is warranted. This simulation involves a 60-year-old man who became apneic in the beach-chair position following an interscalene block for rotator cuff repair. It presents trainees with the opportunity to further their learning with regard to perioperative management and associated complications of patients receiving brachial plexus blocks. This simulation is designed to be delivered in a single, 1-hour session. Materials contained within this simulation include a case template, a checklist of critical actions, a brief summary for key takeaways, and an evaluation form. At the conclusion of this simulation and debriefing session, the learner has had the opportunity to demonstrate progress in several of the anesthesiology milestones outlined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Anesthesiology in the Anesthesiology Milestone Project as they relate to this particular clinical topic. At the time of this submission, a total of 15 junior residents had completed this simulation. Commonly missed critical actions included difficulty of management of analgesia in a block that is not complete and correlation between noninvasive blood pressure on the arm and cerebral perfusion pressure. Learners' comments were generally positive, indicating the residents felt this simulation was a worthwhile learning experience. The majority of anesthesia residents who have participated in this simulation were able to properly address apnea in the beach-chair position following a brachial plexus block. It is expected that this simulation will be performed approximately 15-20 times annually.

Student perceptions of a video-based blended learning approach for improving pediatric physical examination skills

AimPhysical examination skills are crucial for a medical doctor. The physical examination of children differs significantly from that of adults. Students often have only limited contact with pediatric patients to practice these skills. In order to improve the acquisition of pediatric physical examination skills during bedside teaching, we have developed a combined video-based training concept, subsequently evaluating its use and perception. MethodsFifteen videos were compiled, demonstrating defined physical examination sequences in children of different ages. Students were encouraged to use these videos as preparation for bedside teaching during their pediatric clerkship. After bedside teaching, acceptance of this approach was evaluated using a 10-item survey, asking for the frequency of video use and the benefits to learning, self-confidence, and preparation of bedside teaching as well as the concluding OSCE. ResultsN=175 out of 299 students returned survey forms (58.5%). Students most frequently used videos, either illustrating complete examination sequences or corresponding focus examinations frequently assessed in the OSCE. Students perceived the videos as a helpful method of conveying the practical process and preparation for bedside teaching as well as the OSCE, and altogether considered them a worthwhile learning experience. Self-confidence at bedside teaching was enhanced by preparation with the videos. The demonstration of a defined standardized procedural sequence, explanatory comments, and demonstration of infrequent procedures and findings were perceived as particularly supportive. Long video segments, poor alignment with other curricular learning activities, and technical problems were perceived as less helpful. Students prefer an optional individual use of the videos, with easy technical access, thoughtful combination with the bedside teaching, and consecutive standardized practice of demonstrated procedures. ConclusionsPreparation with instructional videos combined with bedside teaching, were perceived to improve the acquisition of pediatric physical examination skills.

That's not what you expect to do as a doctor, you know, you don't expect your patients to die." Death as a learning experience for undergraduate medical students.

BackgroundExperiencing the death of a patient can be one of the most challenging aspects of clinical medicine for medical students. Exploring what students' learn from this difficult experience may contribute to our understanding of how medical students become doctors, and provide insights into the role a medical school may play in this development. This research examined medical students' responses of being involved personally in the death of a patient.MethodTen undergraduate medical students were followed through their three years of clinical medical education. A total of 53 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Grounded theory analysis was used to analyze the data.ResultsStudents illustrated a variety of experiences from the death of a patient. Three main themes from the analysis were derived: (i) Students’ reactions to death and their means of coping. Experiencing the death of a patient led to students feeling emotionally diminished, a decrease in empathy to cope with the emotional pain and seeking encouragement through the comfort of colleagues; (ii) Changing perceptions about the role of the doctor, the practice of medicine, and personal identity. This involved a change in students’ perceptions from an heroic curing view of the doctor’s role to a role of caring, shaped their view of death as a part of life rather than something traumatic, and resulted in them perceiving a change in identity including dampening their emotions; (iii) Professional environment, roles and responsibilities. Students began to experience the professional environment of the hospital by witnessing the ordinariness of death, understanding their role in formalizing the death of a patient, and beginning to feel responsible for patients.ConclusionsAlong with an integrative approach to facilitate students learning about death, we propose staff development targeting a working knowledge of the hidden curriculum. Knowledge of the hidden curriculum, along with the role staff play in exercising this influence, is vital in order to facilitate translating the distressing experiences students face into worthwhile learning experiences. Finally, we argue that student learning about death needs to include learning about the social organization and working life of clinical settings, an area currently omitted from many medical education curricula.

Virtual patients in continuing medical education and residency training: a pilot project for acceptance analysis in the framework of a residency revision course in pediatrics.

Aim: Virtual patients (VPs) are a one-of-a-kind e-learning resource, fostering clinical reasoning skills through clinical case examples. The combination with face-to-face teaching is important for their successful integration, which is referred to as “blended learning”. So far little is known about the use of VPs in the field of continuing medical education and residency training. The pilot study presented here inquired the application of VPs in the framework of a pediatric residency revision course. Methods: Around 200 participants of a pediatric nephology lecture (‘nephrotic and nephritic syndrome in children’) were offered two VPs as a wrap-up session at the revision course of the German Society for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ) 2009 in Heidelberg, Germany. Using a web-based survey form, different aspects were evaluated concerning the learning experiences with VPs, the combination with the lecture, and the use of VPs for residency training in general.Results: N=40 evaluable survey forms were returned (approximately 21%). The return rate was impaired by a technical problem with the local Wi-Fi firewall. The participants perceived the work-up of the VPs as a worthwhile learning experience, with proper preparation for diagnosing and treating real patients with similar complaints. Case presentations, interactivity, and locally and timely independent repetitive practices were, in particular, pointed out. On being asked about the use of VPs in general for residency training, there was a distinct demand for more such offers. Conclusion: VPs may reasonably complement existing learning activities in residency training.

Twenty‐First Century Managers and Intuition: An Exploratory Example of Pedagogic Change for Business Undergraduates

ABSTRACTThroughout the 20th century, business organizations have been subject to and have contributed to enormous changes in the way they work and the situations with which they have to deal, from revolutionary technology developments to the changing competitive environment. Since 2007, business has changed following the financial crisis. Management education needs to take account of these changes when developing degree programs that prepare students for business life.This article is based around a case study of the 1st year of a business studies degree in the United Kingdom. The degree was redesigned in the light of an understanding of what employers want from graduates, and the design was informed by pedagogic and organizational ideas ranging from Aristotle's concept of “phronesis,” to Grint's work on wicked problems, to the need to balance rational and intuitive aspects of management, as identified by Sadler‐Smith and Burke. Running through the new design was an intention to equip students to make effective and appropriate decisions in a complex and continually evolving environment. There is a recognition that changes in the business landscape have led to changes in decision science. Within the article, three modules which form part of the redesigned 1st year are discussed, and the contribution of each module to the overall pedagogic approach is analyzed.Experience from delivering the three modules supported the view that it is possible to construct worthwhile learning experiences which take undergraduate students out of their comfort zone, and which build the competencies that can be expected to be valuable in their graduate employment. However, to achieve this required overcoming some resistance from a minority of students who were reluctant to accept any innovative approaches to learning.

A reconstructive analysis of the potential for critical learning and change in recognition of prior learning: a Habermasian analysis

This paper analyses a recognition of prior learning (RPL) placement process where health care assistants' prior learning is recognised through dialogue with and observation by tutors. This process is part of a procedure that uses RPL for accreditation through the administration of an in‐service training program in the health care sector. The aim of the reconstructive analysis in this paper is to examine the potential for critical learning and change in the RPL placement process by analysing this procedure using Habermas's theory of communicative action. Although prior research has justifiably been critical of the use of RPL for accreditation, these critiques are not always helpful. Rather than simply rejecting this form of RPL, this paper argues for a balance between the social environment (i.e., lifeworld) in the workplace and the education system. Viewed and analysed from the angle of communicative action, the paper argues that when RPL for accreditation is founded within worthwhile learning experiences and conducted through mutual understanding, critical learning and change can be achieved. RPL for accreditation can then be something more than a process of instrumental assessment.

Teaching strategies for coping with stress – the perceptions of medical students

BackgroundThe undergraduate medical course is a period full of stressors, which may contribute to the high prevalence of mental disorders among students and a decrease in life’s quality. Research shows that interventions during an undergraduate course can reduce stress levels. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the Strategies for Coping with Professional Stress class offered to medical students of the Federal University of Goiás, at Goiânia, Goiás, in Brazil.MethodsQualitative research, developed with medical students in an elective class addressing strategies for coping with stress after a focal group (composed of nine of the 33 students taking this course) identified stress factors in the medical course and the coping strategies that these students use. Analysis of the results of the class evaluation questionnaire filled out by the students on the last day of class.ResultsStress factors identified by students in the focus group: lack of time, excessive class content, tests, demanding too much of themselves, overload of extracurricular activities, competitiveness among students and family problems. Coping strategies mentioned in the focus group: respecting one’s limits, setting priorities, avoiding comparisons, leisure activities (movies, literature, sports, meeting with friends and family). Results of the questionnaires: class content that was considered most important: quality of life, strategies for coping with stress, stress factors, assertiveness, community therapy, relaxation, cognitive restructuring, career choice, breathing, social networking, taking care of the caregiver, music therapy and narcissism. Most popular methodologies: relaxation practice, drawing words and discussion them in a group, community therapy, music therapy, simulated jury, short texts and discussion. Meaning of the class: asking questions and reinforcing already known strategies (22.6%), moment of reflection and self-assessment (19.4%), new interest and a worthwhile experience (19.4%), improvement in quality of life (16.1%), expression’s opportunity (9.7%), other (6.4%).ConclusionThe stressors perceived by the medical students are intense and diverse, and the coping strategies used by them are wide-ranging. Most students felt that the class was a worthwhile learning experience, incorporated new practices for improving quality of life and recognized the importance of sharing and reflecting on one’s stressors and life choices.

What are we to do with our ‘nice students’? The learning experience within the scholastic apartheid system of the research-led university

The Humboldtian educational ideal of the modern university based around an intellectual-based learning experience cannot be ignored. Indeed, this has been brought into sharp relief by the marketization of higher education: there is a growing awareness in the university sector, particularly in research-intensive universities, that fee-paying students are entitled to a worthwhile learning experience. This awareness has been further reinforced with the growth of consumer scrutiny in the higher education sector, principally through the introduction of the National Student Survey in 2005. The concern of this article is to explore how research-focused institutions have used their supposed research excellence to pursue teaching excellence and whether this really has enhanced the student learning experience in practice.

Undergraduate students’ experiences of outreach placements in dental secondary care settings

Outreach teaching is delivered as part of the undergraduate curricula of many dental schools. Evaluations of outreach in primary care settings have found learning opportunities beyond those available in the dental school setting, but less is known about secondary care placements. The aim of this evaluation was to assess dental students' experiences of an undergraduate outreach placement in secondary care. Questionnaire survey based on a single cohort of final-year undergraduate dental students at Cardiff University who had completed a 1-week outreach secondment to a District General Hospital. Fifty-five of the 57 eligible students completed the questionnaire. Outreach placements in secondary care were experienced to provide positive additional educational benefit and were considered to be worthwhile by many (but not all) students. Clinical opportunities and staff teaching varied by site. In the current programme, the variability of student experience during secondments to secondary care means that some students report more benefit than others. However, even apparently negative experiences, such as cancelled operating lists, can contribute to the overall outcome in that they accurately reflect the reality of hospital practice. Careful management of secondary care undergraduate secondments is needed to ensure worthwhile learning experiences.

Introducing students to patient safety through an online interprofessional course

Interprofessional education (IPE) is increasingly called upon to improve health care systems and patient safety. Our institution is engaged in a campus-wide IPE initiative. As a component of this initiative, a required online interprofessional patient-safety-focused course for a large group (300) of first-year medical, dental, and nursing students was developed and implemented. We describe our efforts with developing the course, including the use of constructivist and adult learning theories and IPE competencies to structure students’ learning in a meaningful fashion. The course was conducted online to address obstacles of academic calendars and provide flexibility for faculty participation. Students worked in small groups online with a faculty facilitator. Thematic modules were created with associated objectives, online learning materials, and assignments. Students posted completed assignments online and responded to group members’ assignments for purposes of group discussion. Students worked in interprofessional groups on a project requiring them to complete a root cause analysis and develop recommendations based on a fictional sentinel event case. Through project work, students applied concepts learned in the course related to improving patient safety and demonstrated interprofessional collaboration skills. Projects were presented during a final in-class session. Student course evaluation results suggest that learning objectives and content goals were achieved. Faculty course evaluation results indicate that the course was perceived to be a worthwhile learning experience for students. We offer the following recommendations to others interested in developing an in-depth interprofessional learning experience for a large group of learners: 1) consider a hybrid format (inclusion of some face-to-face sessions), 2) address IPE and broader curricular needs, 3) create interactive opportunities for shared learning and working together, 4) provide support to faculty facilitators, and 5) recognize your learners’ educational level. The course has expanded to include students from additional programs for the current academic year.

The Use of Standardized Patients in Athletic Training Education

Context: Standardized patients are widely used in health care programs to both teach and evaluate the communication and clinical skills of students. Although athletic training education programs (ATEPs) commonly use simulations, little information exists related to the use and implementation of standardized patients (SPs). Objective: To provide strategies to use SPs with athletic training students and limited resources. Background: Standardized patient encounters differ from simulations. Simulations require students to perform clinical skills on a mock patient or athlete who has no training to consistently portray a particular injury or illness. SP encounters are consistent, carefully crafted portrayals of injuries or illnesses by trained individuals. Synthesis: A feasible way to use SPs in an ATEP is the time-in-time-out method which allows students to not only examine a SP, but also interact with and obtain immediate feedback from their instructor. Research with athletic training students has revealed that SP encounters are both realistic and worthwhile. Many resources exist to initiate the use of standardized patients in ATEPs, including various research publications, and online resources such as MedEd Portal and the Association of Standardized Patient Educators. Results: The use of SPs enhances learning opportunities for students and provides a format for real-time evaluation for instructors. Recommendation(s): Educators should consider using athletic training students and/or theater students to serve as SPs. Also, a local hospital or other SP programs at a local university may offer the use of their facilities or resources to initiate the use of SPs in your ATEP. Conclusion(s): Many resources are needed to implement the use of standardized patients into an ATEP, but the experience can be well worth the expense to provide a realistic and worthwhile learning experience for students.

Technology and Design, at Key Stage 3, within the Northern Ireland curriculum: teachers’ perceptions

Technology and Design was introduced at Key Stage 3 for all pupils in Northern Ireland, as a result of the Education Reform (NI) Order in 1989. Central to the process of introducing this new and compulsory subject, the government spent in excess of £167M to make provision for the subject in all post-primary schools. This paper explores the perceptions of teachers of Technology and Design (known as Design and Technology in GB) in post-primary schools throughout Northern Ireland to the introduction and implementation of the subject. The methods involved a questionnaire survey to all teachers of Technology and Design throughout Northern Ireland (n = 587) and one-to-one interviews with 24. Findings suggest that teachers consider Technology and Design to be a worthwhile subject and believe that it adds much to the educational experience of the pupils involved. Nonetheless, there is general acceptance that difficulties surround the whole issue of subject definition and content delineation. As a consequence, significant demands are placed upon these teachers as they work to ensure that all pupils are given a worthwhile and valuable learning experience. These findings are discussed in terms of teachers’ perceptions of subject definition, delineation of subject content, the nature of the work involved and issues related to academic ability.

Creative teaching assistant organization to maintain an Integrative Physiology course with 440 students

We were recently challenged with trying to maintain the integrity and learning experience of our Physiology course, which included the use of long-answer, essay-style test questions, with a class size that increased over 2 yr by approximately 200 students. We reorganized the teaching assistant (TA) support structure in an attempt to keep the testing style and mark (or grade) the exams accurately, in a timely fashion, and provide feedback to the students that want it. Each of four TAs became experts in two sections of the course. To assess our success, TA time allocation for specific duties was recorded. Marking (or grading) accuracy was assessed by recording test data including the number of tests returned for remarking and how much marks changed by when a grade was reassessed. Student feedback was solicited to determine whether this structure provided adequate feedback and support to the students. TAs spent an average of 115 h and 35 min +/- 7 h 21 min of a total of 140 h contracted. On average, 13.2 +/- 0.5% of the tests were identified as being inaccurately graded by 4.2 +/- 0.7%. When asked to score whether the statement of assessment of students was fair, it scored 4.5 out of 5, where 5 equals strongly agree. When asked whether the course provided a worthwhile learning experience, the question scored 4.84 out of 5. Thus, we were successful at marking the exams accurately, in a timely fashion, and providing the necessary feedback, and we were successful at maintaining the objectives of the Physiology course with a class size of 440 students.

‘A Challenging But Worthwhile Learning Experience!' - Asian International Students' Perspective of Undertaking a Dissertation in the UK

‘A Challenging But Worthwhile Learning Experience!' - Asian International Students' Perspective of Undertaking a Dissertation in the UK

A Challenging But Worthwhile Learning Experience! - Asian International Students' Perspective of Undertaking a Dissertation in the UK

Over the past decade international student enrolment at British higher education institutions has grown significantly. The majority of international students that study for a British qualification originate from Asia and especially from China. In Britain a dissertation is a significant form of assessment in the postgraduate curriculum. This paper aims to explore the international students’ perspective of undertaking dissertations in tourism and hospitality management in the UK. Through personal interviews with 40 international students from Asian countries from April to May 2005, the experience of undertaking a dissertation was examined. Microanalysis was adopted to understand their experience. Empirical results indicated that there were three main reasons for choosing a research topic. For the students the positive experiences gained from writing their dissertations were generated from learning useful information and peer support. Their negative experiences were related to difficulties in meeting the demands of writing critically, the relationships with their supervisors because of cultural barriers, and also access to data.

The educational effectiveness of problem-based learning discussions as evaluated by learner-assessed satisfaction and practice change

Study objective To elicit attendees' opinions and perceptions of problem-based learning and to assess the ability of this format to influence practitioner behavior. Design Analysis of quality assurance material as part of the evaluation process of the Problem-Based Learning Discussion (PBLD) Committee of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Participants Attendees of the 2002 PBLD Program and the annual meeting of the ASA, Orlando, FL. Measurements and main results Exit and 6-month post-PBLD evaluations of individual PBLD sessions were offered to attendees of the program. A total of 742 evaluations were completed and collected at the conclusion of the individual sessions. Of the participants, 98.2% rated their sessions either good or excellent, 98.5% of whom enjoyed the interactive nature and 98% expressing a willingness to participate in future PBLD sessions. There were 221 questionnaires (17% response rate) completed after 6 months. Actual changes in practice were few, but attendees reported an increased ability to anticipate problems and/or complications and an increased knowledge and awareness about issues regarding patient care. 95.4% considered PBLD a worthwhile learning experience. Conclusions PBLD remains a popular educational offering. Although 6 months may be too short an interval to gauge the ability of PBLD to change physician practices, attendees feel that it does confer increased knowledge and awareness about patient care issues.